Blogging about what I'm cooking. Not as much deep-fried stuff anymore, but hey, it's a catchy name.

Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing

A few of my friends have posted this recipe in the last week or two, so I figured I'd give it a whirl. It sounded like a good blend of flavors, and a quick skim made it easy enough for me to take out the things we don't like (bell peppers and cilantro) and adjust as needed. I wasn't even remotely trying to make it vegan, so I decided to make it slightly more authentically Thai (fish sauce instead of soy sauce and rice vinegar instead of red wine vinegar). This one is a keeper. Great way to eat more vegetables and have a healthy meal and still have a ton of flavor.

To cook quinoa: Rinse quinoa with cold water in mesh strainer. In a medium saucepan, bring 1½ cups of water to a boil. Add in quinoa and bring mixture back to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all of the water. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with fork; place in large bowl and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. You should have a little over 2 cups of quinoa.

To make dressing: Add peanut butter and honey to a medium microwave safe bowl; heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Add in ginger, fish sauce, vinegar, and both sesame and olive oil and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. If you want a thinner dressing, simply stir in a teaspoon or two of water or olive oil.

Add about half of the dressing to the quinoa. Alternatively you can save the dressing for later and add when you are ready to eat; however the flavors of the dressing usually soak into the salad so I love adding it to the quinoa first.

Next fold in onions, cabbage, carrots, and chicken into the quinoa. Garnish with cashews and green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature with lime wedges if desired.